Chapter 2 Not Letting

Chapter 2

Ryan

I hated her.

I hated the way Zaya made me feel. It was different, too intense, and I despised it.

I had not felt anything since Franciscka, my darling. The memory was too painful. Ten minutes was all it took to lose her and our child.

We were supposed to be happy.

We loved each other. We were going to be parents. Then the rogues came, kidnapped her, and in a single instant, everything was taken from me.

"Big day today, right brother?"

That voice irritated me instantly.

"What do you want, Liam?"

I was not in the mood for his antics. If there was one thing about Liam that drove me insane, it was his inability to take a hint.

He clutched his chest dramatically and gasped.

"That is no way to talk to your older brother, is it?"

He always had to remind me. Six minutes. That was all. Six minutes older, and he never let me forget it. But it did not matter, because I was the Alpha, not him.

Liam and I were complete opposites, fire and ice.

And he was insane, not in a playful way but in the most dangerous way possible.

"I heard you bought yourself a breeder to give you kids," he said with a mocking laugh.

My glare was sharp. "Shut your mouth."

He only laughed louder. "You bragged about finding your mate before me, about getting her pregnant first. But in the end, you still buried her first."

My fist moved before I thought, landing square on his face with a satisfying crack.

That was Liam's gift. He could drag out the darkest emotions without even trying.

He wiped the blood from his nose with a smirk, proud that he had made me react.

"You will not speak to your Alpha that way," I growled.

That wiped the grin from his face. He might have been next in line for the throne, but he was unworthy of it. My parents knew it. The pack knew it. Everyone knew it.

Then his fist slammed into my face, and I felt the warm blood run down my nose.

"You took everything from me," he spat, his voice full of venom. "I was meant to be Alpha. I am the true leader."

I smirked. "What you are is incompetent."

He charged again, but this time I was ready. I blocked him and drove my fist into his stomach.

"You are a fraud," he hissed, before shoving his elbow into my ribs.

My claws slid out, sharp and gleaming, just enough to let my wolf surface. His claws were already out, his forest green eyes turning pitch black, identical to mine.

I hated that we looked alike. Two opposite sides of a coin sharing the same face.

"You are despicable," Liam said through clenched teeth.

I shrugged. "And you are a crazy son of a bitch."

His claws tore across my face, blood spilling warm down my cheek.

"I will kill you," he swore, his voice shaking with rage.

I tackled him to the ground and unleashed blow after blow, blood smearing my knuckles. He got in a few hits, but he was no match for me. There was a reason I was Alpha and not him.

"Excuse me, Alpha."

I froze and turned. Nathan, my beta, stood there unimpressed. He had seen us fight too many times to count.

Straightening, I wiped my face. "What is it, Nathan?"

"Everything you asked for is ready, Alpha."

"How many times do I have to tell you? Just call me Ryan."

"I am sorry, Alpha Ryan."

I groaned. There was no changing him. "Lead the way."

Before leaving, I looked back at Liam's limp body.

"Have someone take him to the healer."

"Yes, Alpha Ryan."

The chamber had been prepared, but when I stepped inside, I frowned.

"What the hell is this, Nathan?"

He raised his brows. "Is there a problem, Alpha?"

"I said I wanted a clean, open space for mating. So why does this look like some kind of honeymoon suite?"

Nathan met my eyes. "With all due respect, Alpha, I may be your beta but I am also your friend. I will not let you make her first time a nightmare."

"I paid for her, Nathan. She means nothing to me."

The moment I said it, regret hit me hard.

Nathan's expression flickered, and I realized my words had cut deep. My father had saved him from an illegal child trafficking ring years ago, and he carried that scar every day. To him, people being treated like objects was not just a story. It was his life.

And here I was, speaking of Zaya as if she was nothing.

The guilt was crushing. She might not mean anything to me, but she was still human. She was still someone.

"I am sorry," I said quickly.

Nathan gave me a small smile, but it did not reach his eyes.

"I can change it back if that is what you want."

"No," I shook my head. "Leave it. And Nathan... I really am sorry."

"It is alright, Alpha."

But we both knew it was not.